Tastes

Nice color, with cidery, drying aromas of blood orange and orchard fruits; I taste sweet cereal and tart berries, white pepper and citrus chocolate — all enveloped by a balanced oakiness; the finish is fruity, with drying tannins; berries stay for the otherwise oak-driven aftertaste. If lacking in complexity, the storied, rich oak in this dram is just phenomenal.

The dram is straw-like gold in its appearance and its nose is similarly light in tone — poignantly tart pear is the first emphatic aroma, followed by salt and rich maltiness; as it continues to lift hibiscus comes to mind; the palate presents salted butter, spiced muesli, dried seaweed, and hints of caramel; the pleasant burn comes rather quickly to enhance the flavors, while the finish boasts old oak; the next inhale is like the chilly air of an ancient forest; further in, the bourbon influence makes itself known subtly but elegantly with sweet smokiness. Floral and malty aftertaste. Less remarkable than its Ledaig cousin, but contentedly unrefined, wild, and still altogether splendid. Thanks for sharing, Alex.

Depth and richness of color; plum, honey, vanilla, and fresh apple juice make up the enticing aroma (my wife smells vanilla wafers and she's looking quite fine this New Year's Eve); the taste is malty and sweet, with baked apples and their accompanying spices — the primary aspects are ripening fruit and cereals, as evident on the nose and the palate; in both mouthfeel and taste this one has a dominant winey quality, but it's balanced out by the malt presence. Overall very good, a trustworthy regular dram.

It took me five minutes to pinpoint it, but the initial nosing reminded me precisely of Chileta Piña, a Mexican pineapple candy with chile powder; on the palate is more tropical fruit, golden raisins, Deglet Noor dates, and light brown sugar; next, there is a forward salt-and-spice aspect and an earthy edge of peat; the mouthfeel is warm and creamy; it finishes sweet and brings lemon poppyseed muffins to mind; finesse and balance are the trademarks here—I tend not to prefer cloying Scotch, and despite the consensus I don't find this one overly sweet. Very well crafted.

The sweet and savory Laphroaig Triple Wood tastes like a raisin that has been thrown into a smoldering peat fire, rescued just prior to its explosion, and eaten on top of a salted dark cherry tart. Cereal, spices, pistachios, and a puckering sherry quality as the final feature of the impressive palate. Iodine and malt on the finish. Cheers to heavy-handed pours in Manchester.

Uncorked this one tonight for the first time and poured a lively russet liquid into my glass; the aroma took a while to lift from the glass but once it did, I smelled sour brininess, salted pecan, the inside of my Fossil messenger bag, and lighter notes of vanilla and plantains; it delivers a nice maritime feeling with the first taste, and along with more leather I taste smoked trout and leeks, sour cherries, frangipane, rooibos, and cinnamon candy—overall the mosaic palate of this dram reminds me of a sweet red onion jam; the mouthfeel is chewy and astringent, leading to a sherry stickiness; splendid cinnamon finish with an aftertaste full of malt, gentle peat, sea salt, and cough syrup; an involving, enveloping experience altogether that I look forward to exploring more! Update: I'm about halfway through this precious bottle, and — having mellowed out only slightly on the front end and being yet more voluptuous on the finish — I can say that this is my favorite single malt Scotch to date.

Peat and seaweed are the first scents to waft out of the glass, with sweeter hickory smoke and vanilla accompanying them; on the tongue, the tar-like peat gives way to allspice (sweet and savory), salt, and tropical fruit—starfruit comes to mind—this peat and fruit marriage is the most spectacular aspect of the dram; the enduring finish is full of peppercorn and mint; cereal, peat smoke, and fresh mint stay for the aftertaste. An excellent Islay malt—cheers to my wife on her birthday, whose tasting note for this one was, 'Tastes like a giant charcoal world.'

Exquisite ruby brown in color, with a thick maple smell (from a safe distance); this bourbon glazes your entire mouth in a hot, spicy elixir—chewing through wood spices, aromatic pipe tobacco (the kind you associate with your grandfather), dried fruit; a few drops of water enhance the praline sweetness, bringing out vanilla and melted butter; the aftertaste is musty, peppery, and sports the herbal/medicinal aspect of molasses; you have to lick the astringent, barrel mouthfeel off your palate, and this is followed by an infernal cinnamon finish. Sublimely paired with Barrel + Rye's locally sourced Brie burger, topped with grilled pears and caramelized onions.

Believe me, the label on this one makes me want to think it's a better dram than it might actually be — quite pretty. Pale morning sunlight is the color, and the nose fits well with the visual in bringing pear, lemon blossom, sugar in the raw, and citrus fruit to mind; the taste reminds me of a sea breeze and is lightly malty, with cinnamon and perhaps cardamom making their way in the more I take; the finish is floral, slightly peppery, and is of short-medium length; I'd easily get a bottle of this — it's a light Highland malt but still a worthy one. Unfortunately this small bit at Edinburgh's The Abbotsford might be the best I can do. Certainly 3.5 out of 4 stars.

Nice, deep hue; Bourgogne makes its influence on the well malted nose, and along with it comes red berries; I taste cherries, heather honey, sweet malt, and J.K.'s hard cider; this one burns tart and tannic, and it's fruity finish is long and smooth; where it lacks in depth it makes up for in the finish; a nice one for a mature summer night.